What I Should Have Said
by Oxnate
Summary: Giles gets a second chance to fix things with Faith.


What I Should Have Said

by Oxnate

Like most of my stories, the title comes from a song. In this case, it comes from the lyrics to I Never Told You by Colbie Caillat.

Do not own any Buffy Characters.

* * *

"Well, that's a very... interesting story." Giles told the Slayer in front of him.

"Ain't a story, Jeeves. That's what happened." Faith insisted. "You just don't want to believe your Slayer is a murderous bitch."

"Faith," Giles leaned forward and held her gaze. "You can either tell me what _really_ happened, or you can tell Wesley." Seeing she was uncomfortable with that idea, he leaned back. "Start from the part where vampires were in the process of ambushing the two of you. I believe that is most interesting."

Faith wasn't sure how he knew. Maybe B had ratted her out already. Whatever it was, there was no point in lying any more. She told him the true story that time. Starting with being attacked by the sword-wielding vamps and ending with Buffy throwing the man into the side of a dumpster before she staked him. "... Buffy yelled 'Stop', but it was too late. I mean the stake wasn't in him, but it was too late to stop myself." she finished.

"Hmm... well then. Would you like some tea?" Giles rose to get some cups.

"What?"

"Tea. It's drink made by soaking certain leaves in hot water." Giles gave a small smile. He could quip with the best of them.

"I know that. And no, I don't want any. I just want to know what you're going to do with me." Faith insisted.

Giles looked her in the eyes and said, "Nothing."

Faith sat in silence for a moment with her mouth hanging open. "I don't get it. First you want me to confess and now you ain't gonna do _shit_?"

"I should have been more clear. You're going to do some counseling sessions, but with Wesley. Not with me. Partly because he's the one being paid to do such things and partly because it will be more of a punishment for you to do them with him." Giles smiled. "But a strange man jumps out of the shadows at you mere feet from were you had just been attacked... I'm having trouble thinking of a more clear cut case of self-defense. And it's clear that you feel badly about this if only for the fact that you were trying to cover it up." he watched as Faith shifted a bit uncomfortably. "The fact that you failed to cover up the actual act better may lead to complications down the road, but we'll deal with them as they come. Together."

The force of the blow that hit him staggered him slightly and caused him to drop his tea. He reminded himself that Slayers tended to forget their strength a bit when under duress. "Faith," he croaked. "I can't breath."

Faith released her hug. "Sorry Jeeves. Forgot my strength."

"It's quite alright." he assured her while he prayed he hadn't felt a rib crack. "We should probably decide our next course of action. Buffy obviously knows, I should tell Wesley myself. Goodness knows he might try something utterly stupid like going to the Council if I bollocks that up. I'll pull him aside tomorrow."

"Why not now?" Wesley's voice came from outside the office.

"Bollocks." Giles gently swore. He stood and guided Faith from his office to find Wesley and Buffy there. He addressed Wesley, "And if she had come to you, what would you have done? Would you have gone to the council?"

"Of course not. I- I- Iwould have ordered counseling... three times a week." he insisted haughtily.

"Once a week." Faith said.

"Twice. Take it or leave it." Wesley countered.

Faith shrugged and gave Giles a small smile. "Whatever."

"And do you have a suggestion for how do deal with the authorities?" Giles asked.

"Aww shit. I'm going to jail, aren't I?" Faith bowed her head.

"Don't be silly." Wesley shook his head. "The Slayer is far too precious to waste away in jail. And too strong to be kept even if they could catch her. No. If we can't take the 'heat' off you and you are eventually arrested for this, then you simply break out and we move you to a different country. Get you a new identity. A single homicide is not something they would even forward to Interpol."

"Yes, as for taking that 'heat'," Giles jumped in. "Seeing as the police have already fingered the two of you for this, we can only assume that someone tipped them off. Normal police departments wouldn't even consider the two of you to be suspects. The amount of force required to stake a human being are almost beyond what a normal girl could accomplish. Now we just need to give the two of you an airtight alibi."

"Faith and I already told the detective that we were together that night."

"Not for that one. For the next one." Giles informed them. He shared a nod with Wesley.

It took the Slayers a second to catch on to what he'd said.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Whoa there. I ain't having two murders on my hands. Thanks but no thanks." Faith waved her hands 'no'.

Giles sighed. "First of all, it was self-defense so please stop calling it murder. It makes you sound guilty when you aren't. Second of all, the watchers' council is quite adept at this sort of thing." he looked at Wesley. "Rest assured that the persons they find - both to be the second victim and the murderer - will be the scum of the earth. Human, but much better off dead or behind bars. And thirdly, you can do far more good to make up for the bad that you have done. I'm including the robbery of that sporting goods store in that as well." he glared at Buffy during the last line.

Buffy swallowed. "Heard about that?"

"It was on the news." Giles gave her a disappointed look and a sigh that was almost a growl.

"Hang on Jeeves. That was my bad too." Faith jumped in.

"Yes, the report indicated there were two girls involved." Giles agreed.

Faith shook her head. "No. I mean it was my fault. My idea. We were unarmed, B wanted to come back here to weapon up, but I decided to break into the store. She tried to talk me out of it."

Giles looked at her. "Was anyone attacking you at the time?"

"No."

"Then that was a foolish choice. Needing weapons in a fight would be one thing, but simply to save some time is not a good enough reason to rob a store." Giles cautioned.

"Do you mean that there _would_ be a good reason to rob a store?" Faith wondered.

Giles nodded immediately. "Of course. To save your life or the lives of others. Or at great need. Things are not always black and white, Faith. Especially for those whose duty it is to protect others." he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's not an easy burden to bear. Life and death decisions are made in a split second. All I can tell you is to be careful, and that I will always be there to back you up."

"And me." Buffy said.

"Me too!" Wesley interjected, not wanting to be left out.

Faith stepped away and sniffed. "You guys are trying to make me cry. But it's not going to work." she swallowed. Though her voice betrayed just how close she was, no tears fell.

Giles just smiled and shrugged. "It was worth a shot. Wesley and I will let you know when you need to establish your alibi. I was thinking that you could go to that club you like? The Bronze? Plenty of witnesses there." he looked from Faith to Buffy.

Faith nodded. "Just let us know when."

* * *

Giles woke up and put on his glasses before shuffling to the bathroom for a drink of water. The dreams had been plaguing him for the past week. "I'm sorry, Faith." he told his reflection in the mirror.

* * *

A/N: I really wanted to make this into a longer story. But just couldn't, so I added that part about it being a dream. If anyone would like to adopt this and run with it, please do. I would appreciate it if you let me know if/when you post it. -Nate


End file.
